1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an injection hose for use in filling voids in concrete and to a method of construction thereof. More particularly, this invention relates to an injection hose that is used to inject epoxy and the like to fill voids created during concrete construction.
2. Description of the Prior Art
During installation of an expansion joint, it is known to fill voids left in the concrete with epoxy. During installation of the expansion joint, a hose is laid into that area where a void is likely to form before the concrete is poured. The hose has two ends, both fixed. Each fixed end is connected to an elbow which has a hydraulic nipple into which a source of epoxy can be injected. Then, after the concrete is poured and has been allowed to cure, epoxy can be injected into the hose through the elbow by connecting the source of epoxy to the nipple. Previous hoses have an interior support (usually made out of metal or plastic) to prevent the hose from collapsing and a wall formed out of a cloth or membrane to allow epoxy to escape through the sides of the hose through the cloth or membrane but preventing concrete from entering the hose. Previous hoses are extremely expensive. Since the hose remains embedded in the concrete and epoxy within the void after the epoxy has been used to fill the void, the hose cannot be reused and the cost of the hose is a very important factor. Also, as the length of the hose varies with the length of the void, the hose must often be severed. Because of the metal support, previous hoses can be difficult to cut. Further, the slope of the void sometimes requires the hose to bend and curve sharply. The metal support can make it difficult or impossible to bend or curve the hose sharply.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an inexpensive hose that is strong enough to withstand pressure from the concrete, flexible enough to be placed around corners, rigid enough to allow the epoxy to flow through the hose before exiting through a side wall of the hose and soft enough to have strategically placed slits along its length.
A hose is used in combination with a tubular member and nipple to receive epoxy. The hose has a tubular shape with a reinforced plastic wall. The wall has a plurality of short slits located therein, the slits being short enough to remain closed when the hose has an internal pressure equal to or less than an external pressure and long enough to open when the hose has a higher internal pressure from epoxy than an external pressure to allow epoxy to escape. The slits are sized and oriented so that a compression strength of the hose is not weakened significantly. The hose is connected to one end of the tubular member and the nipple is connected to another end of the tubular member.
Preferably, the hose is used in combination with a tubular member and nipple to receive epoxy.
A method of constructing a hose to fill a void located in concrete, the hose having a wall made from reinforced plastic, said method comprising cutting four longitudinal rows of slits in said wall of said hose, said rows being approximately 80xc2x0 to 100xc2x0 apart from one another, staggering said slits in adjacent rows so that the slits in rows that are substantially opposite to one another are mirror images of one another and slits in adjacent rows are staggered from one another, not removing any material once said slits are cut and cutting said hose to a desired length, connecting one end of said hose to one end of a tubular member, said tubular member having another end that is adapted to receive a nipple.